


Cool Comfort

by Juli



Series: Days of Summer [22]
Category: Being Human (US/Canada)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-24
Updated: 2012-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-12 18:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It felt good to have someone in bed with him, even if it was only for sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cool Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> I'm counting down the days of summer with a ficlet a day during August.

Being a vampire meant that Aiden had a lower body temperature than someone who was still living. He wasn’t as cold as a corpse, thankfully, but more than one human lover had mentioned how cool his body was. Similarly, Aiden didn’t sleep the same way that a living person did, although he did require rest. He’d been in bed for a couple of hours, finding the quiet of listening to an old house pop and creak during the night comforting.

When the door to Aiden’s bedroom opened, it didn’t wake him, since he wasn’t asleep in the first place. He opened his eyes to find Josh walking in. The werewolf’s eyes had a glazed look and Aiden sighed. With the warm weather had come Josh’s penchant for sleepwalking, although this was the first time that Josh had wandered into Aiden’s room during one of his incidents.

Without saying anything, Josh approached the bed and climbed right in. Aiden was surprised, but he automatically scooted over to make room for his housemate. It was the right thing to do. Josh curled up against Aiden, his head on Aiden’s chest, and sighed in contentment.

“So cool.” Josh murmured before closing his eyes and entered a more typical sleep pattern.

For a few of Josh’s heartbeats, Aiden held himself stiffly, but then slowly relaxed. It felt good to have someone in bed with him, even if it was only for sleep. He couldn’t really blame Josh, either. They were having unseasonably warm weather and the old house didn’t cool down efficiently, especially on the second floor where the bedrooms were located. Asleep, Josh had sought comfort and Aiden was inordinately pleased that his friend had come to him.

“Let’s try this,” Aiden spoke softly, not really wanting to wake the younger man, but theorizing that Josh would be even more comfortable with a change in positions. 

Aiden gently turned Josh so that the young werewolf was facing away from him, then proceeded to drape himself all long Josh’s back. Josh murmured quietly and pressed backwards. The two men were big spoon to little spoon, complete with Aiden’s legs closely following the curve of Josh’s. Even asleep, Josh was incredibly responsive and Aiden told himself to behave. Josh was a friend and housemate, both far more rare and valued relationships than that of lover. Still, it was a feast for his heightened senses to hold Josh. Even as Josh clearly enjoyed Aiden’s cool nature, Aiden soaked in the sensations of warmth and life currently in his arms.

“Aiden, have you seen Josh?” Sally walked through the wall. “He’s not in his bed -. . . .” She’d been looking over her shoulder as she entered the bedroom and stopped when she got a good look at the two men inside. “I guess because he’s in your bed.”

Sally, the little minx, grinned.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Aiden sputtered. Josh, reacting to the voices and his bedmate’s sudden tension, started to stir. Aiden was quick to pet him until he settled back down.

“I don’t know.” Sally grinned. “It sure looks like what it looks like.”

“He was sleepwalking,” Aiden protested, albeit quietly. “I couldn’t risk waking him up, that’s dangerous.”

Sally settled down cross-legged on the end of the bed. “Seems to me that’s a folk tale.” She nodded at Josh, her grin softening to a fond smile. “Also seems to me that when someone sleepwalks, the subconscious guides the body. Josh didn’t just wander in here by mistake; he’s right where he wants to be.”

Aiden looked down at the younger man, who certainly was the picture of contentment. “Maybe, but it can’t work. Trust me.”

“You’re probably right.” Sally sighed, although her next statement showed she agreed with Aiden for entirely different reasons. ”Josh’d probably freak out if he knew where he was right now.”

“I’ll make sure he’s in his own bed when he wakes up.” Aiden looked at Sally gratefully. “Thanks for keeping an eye on him.”

“Anytime.” As a ghost, Sally didn’t sleep at all and had been the one to wake Aiden when Josh had tried to pee in the magazine stand while sleepwalking or, worse, leave the house. “He’s an overgrown puppy, but he’s our puppy.”

Aiden smiled, looking down at Josh fondly. “Yeah, he is.”

“Hey.”

Looking up, Aiden realized that Sally had unfolded herself from her seated position and was standing next to the bed. “Yeah?”

“No reason you can’t enjoy it.” She nodded herself at Josh. “I know you’re too noble to do anything out of line, but he did come to you.”

Josh chose that moment to make a snuffling noise and wrapped himself around Aiden’s arm. Both Sally and Aiden laughed, although they both kept it soft so as not to wake their friend.

“Aiden Waite,” Sally teased. “Big bad vampire teddy bear.”

“Yeah, right.” Aiden took it in good stride. “The things I do for Josh.” 

Sally started to sink through the floor. “And maybe for you too.”

Only once she was gone did Aiden concede that maybe the ghost had a point. He spent the rest of the night wide awake and cataloging every moment of having Josh with him. Aiden carefully buried his nose in the sweet spot behind Josh’s ear, enjoying not only the scent of the younger man, but also the way the gesture made him shiver. Mostly Aiden kept his observances to only those things he could scent, see or hear, but he couldn’t resist tracing the shell outline of one ear. The skin grew pinker in reaction and as the blood rose to the surface, Aiden salivated. He didn’t give in to the urge to bite; Aiden would never betray Josh’s trust that way.

As a vampire, Aiden was hyper aware of the sun rising. Knowing his time with Josh was over, he carefully got out of bed and padded to Josh’s room. The sheets of the younger man’s bed were in wild disarray; Josh had either been particularly restless before the sleepwalking had started or he’d had a bad dream. Either way, Aiden was doubly glad that his friend had come to him for comfort.

It was quick work straightening the bed and pulling back the covers. All too soon, Aiden was back in his own bedroom and gathering Josh into his arms. The werewolf’s breath become uneven for a moment, but Josh didn’t wake. Instead he buried his head into Aiden’s neck with a happy sigh, making Aiden shiver.

With a vampire’s strength, it was nothing to carry Josh to his own bedroom and gently place him on his own bed. Josh whimpered as Aiden withdrew, so Aiden stroked his hair – totally for Josh’s sake, or so he told himself. 

Once Josh settled, Aiden bent down and kissed his forehead. “Sleep tight.”

Back in his own room, Aiden found his bed incredibly cold and lonely; the big spoon already missed the little spoon. Worse, the little spoon wouldn’t even remember that it had happened – but the big spoon would have a very hard time forgetting.

And, alone, Aiden had a hard time convincing himself that was for the best.

~the end~


End file.
